Does anyone know where this word originated?
On a television program I was watching they suggested that Infantry derives from ancient Greek; the strategists placed the youngest soldiers on the front line, because the were essentially expendable, hence Infant-ry. Sounds awful to me. Shocking, really. My google search found that explanation, but other explanations were also provided.
Thoughts? I am curious because, like so many others, Herb was attached to a French Infantry Battalion.
Just struck me. I guess I am also thinking about all the child soldiers in the world today - with ISIS, Boka Haram and other such atrocious world events.
It's worth noting that the word isn't coined till the 15th century. Historians apply "infantry" to classical-era troops simply to make it easier to talk about them. A Roman foot soldier would have been called a milis (or militis), which is where we get the word "military" from. Greek infantry would have been called pezhetairoi (literally "foot companions").
ReplyDeleteSo, yes, the use of the term in the 15th century borrows from a Latin root that means "boy" or "youth," but is actually an old Italian bastardization that means "young follower," referring largely to the handful of servants (including feudal subjects) that worked for a knight, and would be armed during battle.
Wow, Andrew....
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